This edition of the newsletter contains more articles on villages
(continuation of Father Leser series), a link with the Burgenla"ndische
Gemeinschaft, more on Moson Megye villages, Northampton, PA Museum,
publication of History of Phoenix, PA, and a Family Immigrant Story
("Auswandererschicksal").

(NOTE: These records are some of the oldest available which mention local
family names. They often contain archaic spelling -both German or Hungarian.
For instance Michl is Michael, Greller can be Gro"ller, Pfaifer-Pfeiffer,
Kheppl-Kepple, Rozner-Rossner, etc. If your records indicate that you may
have family in these villages, look for similar spellings.)

BURGENLAND BUNCH FEATURED IN "BURGENLA"NDISCHE GEMEINSCHAFT NEWS"
(JULY/AUGUST 1997)!
I've previously mentioned the importance of the association called the
Burgenla"ndische Gemeinschaft (BG) to anyone interested in the Burgenland.
The BG (founded in 1956) has members throughout the world who are Burgenland
immigrants or descendants of same. More than any other association, the BG
keeps the memory of Burgenland immigration alive. They issue a bi-monthly
newsletter in German which is mailed to all members (cost $15/year). They
host meetings, memorial dedications, an annual picnic and other affairs. They
also operate a Travel Agency from an office in Gu"ssing. The BG enjoys a
voluminous correspondence concerning Burgenland matters with other
associations and members. Dr. Walter Dujmovits, current president, has
authored various books and articles concerning Burgenland emigration and is a
Burgeneland Immigrant and History authority of note. Last February when the
BB was just being formed (we had 8 members), I sent a letter to Dr.
Dujmovits, explaining who we were and what our purpose was. He has kindly
written the following article. It is featured on the first page of the the
previously mentioned BG newsletter with comments in both English and German.
In the same issue, he published the "Auswandererschicksal" (immigant's story)
of my mother's side of the family (Sorger) which I had sent to him. All in
all, a wonderful response! Our thanks to the BG! A partial extract of the
featured article follows:

"Burgenland-Bunch" in Amerika. ... Last February the... "Burgenland Bunch"
was founded in the USA for the purpose of joining Burgenlnders and their
descendants all over America and of exchanging information about their home
country. The man who set up this program was Gerald Berghold. When Richard
Unger from California asked the parson of Eltendorf in Burgenland about his
grandfather who had emigrated from there, he got Berghold's address; the
latter had also been in Eltendorf before to inquire after his family roots.
Berghold already had e-mail contact with 7 Burgenlnders and invited Unger
to join. Today 30 (now over 60) Burgenlnders are in touch by internet.
Gerald Berghold writes one article each week (now a bi-weekly newsletter of
10 pages) on web page about Burgenland and the Burgenlndische Gemeinschaft.
On the other hand he recommends some places in Burgenland to visit (e.g.
Gssing and the museum) and gives a helping hand if somebody wants to
elaborate his genealogy. He also writes about meetings of the Burgenlndische
Gemeinschaft and translates excerpts of some books like "Die
Amerikawanderung der Burgenlnder". The "Burgenland Bunch" is joining people
who emigrated from Burgenland to those whose parents or grandparents came
from there. Is this a new kind of a "Smaller Burgenlndische Gemeinschaft"?
Thus, the B. Gemeinschaft also got an e-mail address:
<< >> -Dr.Walter Dujmovits Jr.

If you wish to join the BG, contact them at the email address shown or write
(airmail): Burgenla"ndische Gemeinschaft, Hauptplatz 7, A7540 Gu"ssing,
Austria, Europe inclosing name and address and your check for $15.00.

MORE ON MOSON MEGYE VILLAGES (A. Schuch)
Had another look on your Moson megye villages list (BB newsletter 19). The
three "Szent- villages" caught my attention: > Szent Andras -St. Andra, >
Szent Janos -St. Johann > Szent Miklos-St. Miklos. Of these, only Szent
Andras (St. Andra") belongs to Burgenland. Szent Miklos (now
Mosonszentmiklos) is in Hungary, near Lebeny (half way between the border and
the city Gyo"r). Szent Janos is also in Hungary, near the border, east of
Pusztasomorja. It has apparently been united with the former neighbouring
village Szent Peter and is called Janossomorja today. Old German names of
some of those villages that have remained Hungarian (in case you don't have
them): Bezenye - Pallersdorf, Hegyeshalom - Strass-Sommerein, Horvath Kimle -
Kroatisch Kimling (there was also an Ungarisch Kimling), Lebeny - Leiden,
Level - Kaltenstein (?), Puszta Somorja - Wu"st-Sommerein, Rajka- Ragendorf.
Another village in this area would be (Moson)Szolnok (Zanegg in German).

NORTHAMPTON, PA MUSEUM
Northampton, PA is another of those places where many Burgenland immigrants
settled. As in Nazareth, PA, the booming local cement industry was a source
of jobs for immigrants. The work was hard, dirty and threatening to health,
like most major blue collar industries of the period, but it provided what
immigrants needed most-an immediate source of income. Many first and second
generation immigrant families were raised and educated on wages from the
cement industry. As such it remains an important part of our cultural history.

Northampton also has the distinction of being a "sister city" to Stegersbach
in the Burgenland, the first "partnership" of American and Burgenland cities.
Albert Pany, a Burgenla"nder from Tudersdorf who became mayor of Northampton
was instrumental in establishing that relationship. These excerpts are from
an article The Morning Call Newspaper Company dated THURSDAY, December 20,
1984 Page: N19 , Edition: Z3 (courtesy Anna Kresh)

A newly installed exhibit on the Universal Atlas Cement Co. at Northampton
Senior High School was dedicated to Anthony Pany and former employees
recently, marking the culmination of more than a year's work by history
teacher Edward Pany and art teacher Roger Firestone. The late Anthony Pany
was mayor of Northampton and an Atlas employee. His son Edward Pany, as did
many college students, was a summer employee at Atlas.

The high school is an appropriate place for the historical monument because
the school complex is built on land donated by the company. The four plants
covered 218 acres and were, at one time, the largest cement producers in the
world. They are all closed now. Pany visited former employees during the past
year and learned more about the plants and working conditions from these
people. He spoke to men and women who worked more than 40 years for the
company, people who started a job when they were 14 years old and stayed with
the company until they retired. The young men were required to attend a
''continuation school'' at the Central Building on Main Street one day a week
until they were 16 years old.

Pany said, ''I went to each home and I learned quite a lot from these people.
Their memories are vivid, clear and lucid. I learned about the facilities and
the machinery, I learned how the plants worked. I am so interested in the
Atlas, my object is to know more about the Atlas than anybody in my
generation.'' Among the things Pany learned was that agents were sent from
the company to the docks in New York and to Europe to find workers, and
employees were paid to bring new workers into the plants. Workers were needed
to support an industry that produced electricity, which could support a city
of 75,000, that packed 200 box cars of cement a day, that maintained 200
horses and eight farms, that had its own newspaper, print shop and
laboratory, that operated three quarries 24 hours a day, manufactured its own
barrels and bags for shipment, internally manned 25 miles of railroad and
five miles of conveyers, operated 71 kilns and produced 19 different kinds of
cement.

There was an internal telephone system that connected key employees directly
to the plant. There were 125 phones on the line - the longest phone line went
from the plant to Cherryville Road.

>From pay stubs Pany learned of men who worked 140 hours in two weeks and
received $33.55. That was in 1922. In 1930, a skilled laborer earned $4.75
for 10 hours of work. There were men who worked for two years with no days
off. One of the reasons the Atlas was so productive was the contract the
company received in 1908 to produce cement for the Panama Canal. Millions of
barrels were shipped to Panama, and many men came to Northampton for the jobs
the company offered. There were from 5,000 to 6,000 employees at the plants
during the peak years. A record day was achieved in 1910 when 39,000 barrels
of cement were loaded. Pany said that amount is the equivalent of 200 tank
trucks. One barrel held 376 pounds of cement. The barrels were made in the
cooperage, and Pany said to understand the barrel manufacturing process, he
acquired a new vocabulary from the men who worked in the cooperage.

Former employees attended the dedication ceremony held at the school last
week. It was their memories Pany probed to learn more about the industry that
for so long was the life blood of Northampton, the former ''Cement Capitol of
the World.'' They donated photographs and memorabilia and shared their work
experiences so the exhibit could be completed. Pany said it was from those
people that he learned of loyalty and dedication to a company that resulted
in many employees having 40 or more years work experience with one company.
''This was probably my best experience in many years. These people opened
their homes to me. Everybody was so cooperative. I felt like a part of their
family.'' When Pany talks about the plant he brings with him an enthusiasm
that makes learning the history of the plant a living thing. The statistics
become more than a series of numbers because he makes them vital. To him the
plant was more than a day to day work place it was an achievement and now
that it is gone he does not want to see it fade away. When Pany talks about
the Atlas, you can almost hear the whistle again... (end).

HISTORY OF PHOENIX (incorporated as part of Nazareth, PA)
Burgenland Bunch member Joe Tanzos () has been keeping track
of the publication of a local history which will be of interest to many of
our members. It concerns the early days of the village of Phoenix (suburb of
Nazareth) and locale of the Nazareth cement industry.

Replete with many period pictures, it tells the story of the early immigrant
days, development of the cement industry (many pictures), schools, churches,
groups and organizations, stores, growing up in Phoenix, Phoenix today and
best of all, short Family Histories (no genealogy) of the following
Burgenla"nder names:

In some cases, additional family data is supplied like dates, marriages,
descendants etc. Printed on glossy paper, this hard bound, 192 page book may
be ordered from Holy Family School, 17 N. Convent Ave., Nazareth, Pa., 18064.
Check for $27.00 to be made out to Holy Family School. The total publishing
costs were covered by sponsers and the entire $25.00 goes to the school.

If you have connections with the Nazareth area, you'll want to add this book
to your genealogical library. Your editor has copy 133/550 so don't delay too
long if you'd like a copy. Contact Gerry Berghold and Joe Tanzos if you have
any questions.

AN IMMIGRANT STORY
A feature of the BG newsletter is a section devoted to the stories of
Burgenland emigrants (Auswandererschicksal). They are frequently written by
descendants and may be in German or English. As mentioned earlier in this
issue of the BB news, the BG recently printed the story of my mother's
parents, the Sorgers of Rosenberg (Gu"ssing). I would like to see similar
stories from each of the BB members. It would be a fine edition to your
genealogy and to the BB news. My story follows:

AUSWANDERERSCHICKSAL
The Sorgers of Rosenberg (bei Gssing)
This is the history of a Burgenland family who for at least four generations
lived and worked in the hamlet of Rosenberg, Bezirk Gssing. There were many
children, one of whom emigrated to America as part of the great
"Auswanderung" of the early 1900's and became my grandfather. There are now
no more Sorgers with this name, not in Rosenberg, not in America. The
"1993-94 Amtliches Telefonbuch Burgenland" shows a few Sorger families, in
the villages near Gssing. I am a sixth generation descendant of this
Rosenberg family line. Since my roots are in the Burgenland, I like to think
that although born in the United States, as a grandson of four Burgenland
immigrants, I can also claim that "Ich bin auch ein Burgenlnder"!

Rosenberg (Hungarian-Rosahegy), for many years considered part of Gssing
("ussere Stadt") lies to the southwest of the old city walls, across the
"Fischteich", on a small ridge facing east. Here, on a road leading to
Steingraben and Sulz lived some German speaking families of craftsmen
("Sllner") who were also small land holders. One such family, living at
number 225 Rosenberg for many years were the Sorgers, who for at least three
generations were potters ("Tpfer" oder Latinisch "figula"). They also had a
vineyard in Langzeil. With deeper roots in Langzeil, Gross Mrbisch and
perhaps Inzenhoff, the first Sorger to settle in Rosenberg may have been
Georgius Sorger (born 1770, died 225 Rosenberg, 15 April, 1852) and wife
Ursula Artinger (born in Inzenhoff). The Sorger name is also mentioned in
earlier Gssing records. In 1727, Herr Michael Sorger is shown as a
"Richter" (p75, "Stadterhebung Gssing, 1973", Festschrift). In 1750 (p100),
Paul Sorger is "ein Brger um den Schlossberg" and Stephan Sorger is shown as
an inhabitant of Langzeil. One Georg Sorger, is listed as a "Weinzdl". It is
believed Georg may be the father of Georgius. The Sorger name is also found
in the Hungarian Census of 1828 (Ungarisches Landeskonskription 1828,
Comitatus Castriferrei) and in church records (Kirche Mari Heimsuchung,
Gssing, Kirche St. Nicholas (Szt. Miklos), Kirche Felso-Ronok
{Ober-Radling}). Sorgers are also buried in St. Jakob cemetery.

Georgius, b1770 and Ursula Artinger had seven children, including Mathyas
(born 1810, died Rosenberg 16 Mar., 1883); whose wife was Magdalena Horvath
(1805-1883). Mathyas and Magdalena in turn had seven children, including
Aloysius, born 17 May 1838. Aloysius' first wife was Seraphina Schleder, born
in Langzeil 29 Oct., 1847, with whom he fathered 5 children.

When Seraphina died in childbirth in 1877, Aloysius married Juliana Tarafas,
born 18 Feb., 1846 in Pinka Mindszent (Allerheiligen).

Aloysius and Juliana had four children, Alois, b1879, Celia, b1881, Joseph,
b1884 and Richard, b1886. Alois Sorger, b1879, my grandfather, worked in his
father's pottery until he was apprenticed to a brick layer ("Maurer"). After
working in the Hungarian building trades, he was one of the first from
Gssing to emigrate to America. He arrived in New York, 17 August, 1901aboard
the SS Phoenicia, Hamburg-American Line. He had $17 in his pocket and a
promise of help from a Mankos family in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. A life long
friend and neighbor, one Stephen Mankos accompanied him on the trip.
Together, they passed through Ellis Island, took ferry boat to Newark, NJ and
train to Bethlehem, PA. Alois later moved to Allentown, PA, where he had a
room at 348 N. Second St. He worked in the building trades and soon married
Maria Pltl, another Rosenberg emigrant, the daughter of Franciscus Pltl and
Julia Wukitsch from 217 Rosenberg. Maria died in childbirth in 1905. They
had one surviving child, Maria Theresa, who married Alvin, a son of John
Zwickl (1872-1956), an early Heiligenkreuz emigrant to Allentown (1890).
Their descendants live in Pennsylvania and Arizona.

Alois then married Hedwig Mhl (born 1885 in Klein Murbisch). She had
emigrated in 1905 from Gssing with her twin sister Francisca (1885-1944) and
mother Johanna Pltl Mhl (1845-1931). Her father, Josephus Mhl,(b1834), a
cabinet maker ("Tischler") had died in 1885. Hedwig's brother Joseph
(1875-1971), a tailor ("Schneider"), had preceded them to Allentown in 1903.
Alois and Hedwig first lived at 217 Grant Street and later 527 N. 4th Street,
Allentown. In 1909, Alois, his friend Steve Mankos and brother Louis Mankos
built four brick houses in the six hundred block of N. Jordan Street. They
sold one house and took the remaining three for their homes, (Alois had
number 621). They lived there as friends and neighbors, working in the
building trades and as bricklayers at the Bethlehem Steel Plant. Alois was a
member of the Sacred Heart Parish and the Allentown Turner Liederkranz and
was eventually a foreman ("Vorarbeiter") at the Bethlehem Steel. He was a
good husband and father and and was well established. He died of stroke 22
June, 1940, and is buried in Sacred Heart Cemetery,Allentown.

Alois and Hedwig had two children who survived childhood. Frida, born 1907
and William, born 1910. William never married, worked in the Allentown
textile mills and died in Winchester, VA in 1987. Frida married Julius
Berghold, born Allentown, 1906, son of immigrants Janos Berghold, born
Poppendorf, 1879 and Francis Langash, Inzenhof, 1871.

Frida Sorger and Julius Berghold had two sons, Robert, 1926 and Gerald,
(myself) born 1930 in Allentown. Our descendants (four children and eight
grandchildren now live in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and
Virginia.

Hedwig died in Allentown in 1978 at age 93, the last of "our" immigrant
ancestors, still speaking of her early days in "das schn Burgenland". The
Allentown homestead is now owned by strangers and very few of our Burgenland
families remain.

Alois' sister Celia Sorger married first a Frank Taseovitz, then a Louis
Hadle (another Burgenland emigrant). She came to Allentown in 1913, had 4
surviving children and died in 1956. There are descendants. Brother Richard
Sorger (1886-1918), also came to America, but died unmarried in Troy, NY.
Brother Joseph Sorger (b1884), remained in the Burgenland and nothing further
is known of him or any descendants.

Alois' mother Juliana Tarafas Sorger died in 1889 and his father Aloysius
married the third time to Maria Nikischer, b 1860 in Neustift. They had a
daughter Emila Sorger, b1892 who married an Adolf Weber. The Webers had at
least four children, Ferencz, Margit, Emilia and Justina and the Sorger name
then disappears from Rosenberg. I don't know when Aloysius died, but I
believe I found his unmarked and broken tombstone in St. Jakob cemetery in
1993 in a Sorger plot.

During a visit in 1993, I drove to where 225 Rosenberg was located, but I
could find nothing of the old Sorger residence. I was told it had been torn
down. I did buy four pieces of old pottery from an "Antikat" on the road to
Heiligenkreuz. I look at them and like to think perhaps they were made by
Sorger's pottery. A small piece of the history of my ancestors. I'd be happy
to correspond with any other Sorger descendants. I can be reached by mail at
Gerald J. Berghold, 327 Walker Street, Winchester, VA, 22601, USA or by email
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